Device for providing consumable materials

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device ( 20 ) for providing consumable material ( 24 ) for a packaging machine ( 30 ). The device ( 20 ) comprises a magazine ( 22 ) for the consumable material ( 24 ). The consumable material ( 24 ) for the ongoing operation is removed from the magazine ( 22 ) and fed via a feed device ( 26 ) to the packaging machine ( 30 ). The device ( 20 ) comprises a detection device ( 40 ) for determining an actual quantity (Va) of consumable material ( 24 ) in the magazine ( 22 ). The invention further relates to a method ( 20 ) for providing consumable material ( 24 ) for a packaging machine ( 30 ). The consumable material ( 24 ) is provided as bulk material in a magazine ( 22 ) and is removed from said magazine ( 22 ) by means of at least one conveyor device ( 26 ) and fed to the packaging machine ( 30 ). The magazine ( 22 ) can accommodate a defined maximum quantity (Vmax) of consumable material ( 24 ). According to the invention, an actual quantity (Va) of consumable material ( 24 ) in the magazine ( 22 ) is detected by a detection device ( 40 ) coupled to the magazine ( 22 ).

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims the benefit of international applicationPCT/EP2013/052135, filed on Feb. 4, 2013, which in turn claims thebenefit of German application DE 10 2012 10 11 14.1, filed on Feb. 14,2012, both of which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device and a method for providingconsumable material for a packaging machine.

BACKGROUND

In the packaging industry, products are frequently produced and/orpackaged in a continuous mode of operation. For this purpose, severalpackaging modules are frequently grouped into one collective workassembly. A filling line in the beverage industry comprises, forinstance, a module for producing the beverage containers, in particulara blow molding machine, a module for filling the beverages into thecontainers, a module for sealing the filled containers, and furthermodules, according to the requirements, for assembling the filledcontainers into packaging units and for packaging.

An operator monitors the ongoing operation in such a filling line. Theoperator has to provide for sufficient consumable material at all times,carry out conversion operations where required, repair defects in thefilling line, etc.

Containers of synthetic material, in particular bottles, are oftenproduced in blow molding machines from so-called preforms. The preformsare the consumable material and they are provided in silos and fed tothe blow molding machine via an inclined conveyor, for instance. Thepreforms are preferably delivered as bulk material in packaging units,for instance in boxes or containers, and then poured into the silo.

The operator, who operates and monitors the machine, in general alsomonitors the filling level of the preforms in the silo in order toensure that there is always sufficient consumable material for thecontinuous operation of the blow molding machine. Monitoring in thiscontext is performed by way of visual inspection. A narrow opening or aviewing window is, for instance, provided in the silo for this purpose.The operator then has to assess how much time is left before he has torefill again. In order to avoid a shortage of preforms in the silo, thelevel is currently monitored by means of a light barrier. When there isonly a small quantity of consumable material left in the silo, a messageon a display notifies the operator so that he can refill the silo intime.

In the instance of a product change, different preforms will possibly beneeded. For this reason, the silo has to be emptied completely first,before the new preforms can be filled into it. This is customarilyperformed by discharging the preforms via the inclined conveyor.According to the number of preforms left in the silo, this can imply anenormous loss of time during which production is not possible.

DE 203 08 513 U1, for instance, shows a device for feeding preforms to ablow molding machine wherein the preforms are provided in a silo and fedto a heating section via an inclined conveyor, a roller sorter, and anelevator conveyor; and then the preforms are heated in the heatingsection and subsequently formed in the downstream blow molding machine.

Correspondingly, container caps, for instance, are provided in silos forthe purpose of sealing the bottles after these have been filled withbeverages. In this context, the silo also has to be emptied completelyin the instance of a product change before new caps can be filled intothe silo.

The task of the invention is to monitor the quantity of consumablematerial in a magazine in order to perform an adaptation of the fillinglevel in the magazine in an easy manner.

The above task is solved by a device comprising the features of thisinvention. The above task is further solved by a method comprising thefeatures of this invention. Further advantageous embodiments of theinvention are described through out this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for providing consumable material fora packaging machine. The device comprises a magazine for the consumablematerial, from which magazine consumable material is removed during theongoing process via a feed device and fed to the packaging machine.

Such a device is, in particular, employed in filling lines with astretch blow molding machine and/or a filler. The term “packagingmachine” is to be understood to include, for instance, a blow moldingdevice for the production of containers, in particular bottles, fromso-called preforms. The preforms constitute the consumable material,which is provided in a silo and first fed to a heating section via aninclined conveyor, a roller sorter, and an elevator conveyor, forinstance, and subsequently fed to a blow molding machine.

The term “packaging machine” is further to be understood to include asealer, which applies crown caps, or other types of caps, to bottlescoming from a filler and filled with a liquid, for instance a beverageor the like. In this instance, the caps constitute the providedconsumable material. The packaging machine can also be a so-calledunscrambler, which sorts and/or positions the finished bottles, whichare delivered as piece goods, so that the said bottles can subsequentlybe filled.

According to the invention, the device comprises a detection device fordetermining an actual quantity of consumable material in the magazine.According to a preferred embodiment form, this is a unit for determiningthe absolute mass of the magazine or of the mass of consumable materialin the magazine.

The detection device is preferably coupled to a display unit and/or acontrol unit. The said unit displays, in particular, the actual quantityof consumable material in the magazine. It can be provided that thedetection device determines the mass of consumable material in themagazine and calculates and displays the number of units of consumablematerial in the magazine based on the known mass per unit of consumablematerial, for instance, based on the known mass of a preform.Furthermore, it can be provided that the display unit and/or controlunit calculates and displays the units of consumable material requiredfor the remainder of the ongoing production based on known anddetermined data. Furthermore, it can be provided that the time until thenext refill of the magazine is calculated and displayed based on therespective actual weight of consumable material and the knownthroughput.

According to one embodiment form of the invention, the display unitand/or control unit comprises a warning function and produces a warningsignal on the actual quantity of consumable material in the magazinefalling below a defined minimum quantity. This can be an acoustic and/oran optical signal. In this manner, it can be prevented that the magazineis completely emptied during ongoing operation. Production stop or idlerunning of the downstream packaging machine is thus prevented.

It is possible to enter certain operating parameters into the displayunit and/or control unit in the beginning of a new production. Amongthese are the following:

-   -   number of packaging units to be produced and/or    -   time for producing one packaging unit by means of the packaging        machine=throughput, etc.

The number of packaging units to be produced determines the targetquantity of required consumable material. The display unit and/orcontrol unit can, for instance, sum up and display the quantities of therespectively newly refilled consumable material. In particular, it ispossible to save the respective actual quantity in a separate datalogger of the display unit and/or control unit immediately after eachrefill of new preforms. Based on the sum of all filling quantities andthe known target quantity, the display unit and/or control unitdetermines the residual quantity of consumable material required untilthe end of production by subtracting the sum of consumable material thathas been filled in from the target quantity. This residual quantitycorresponds to the quantity of consumable material that will be requireduntil completion of the packaging process, for instance until a productchange etc. The display unit and/or control unit can furthermore displayan advantageous division into filling units of the calculated residualquantity. In other words, the display unit and/or control unitspecifies, for instance, the number of times the magazine is to befilled to the maximum and a partial quantity to be added to a finalcharge or the like.

It should be noted in this context that the weight of a unit ofconsumable material always constitutes an average value, which varieswithin a certain production-based tolerance range. This tolerance mustalso be considered and included in the calculation so that there is noshortage of provided units of consumable material left in the magazinein the end. In order to prevent this, an additional sensor can bearranged downstream of the packaging machine for counting the finishedpackaging units, for instance. This counted value is in turn transmittedto the display unit and/or control unit and then serves as correctionvalue for respectively determining the residual quantity of consumablematerial as precisely as possible.

The detection device can be arranged below the magazine, i.e. it can bepositioned on top of a unit for determining an actual quantity, forinstance. The detection device can also be integrated into the basesection of the magazine; the base plate of the magazine can be designedas weighing plate, for instance. It is possible to determine therequired target quantity of consumable material from the number ofpackaging units to be produced and the known weight of one unit ofconsumable material. In other words, it is possible to calculate thenumber of preform packaging units required for the remainder of theproduction from the desired number of bottles to be produced, the knownweight of an individual preform and the known number or the known weightof a packaging unit, for instance a box, of preforms. The display thusindicates, for instance, whether one complete packaging unit or severalcomplete packaging units of preforms or only a part of a packaging unitof preforms should be filled into the magazine or the silo next.

The detection device can alternatively be arranged upstream of themagazine. In this instance, the quantity of consumable material filledinto the magazine is respectively determined. The amount of consumablematerial that is still required results from the sum of the fillingquantities, and again, it can be displayed whether the magazine has tobe filled up completely or only partly. A scale installed upstream ofthe magazine can be designed to be considerably smaller and moreprecise, thus allowing the required number of consumable units, inparticular preforms or caps, to be metered more precisely. In thiscontext, it can be provided for the display unit and/or control unit todisplay the quantity filled in last and/or the total quantity alreadyfilled in.

The display unit and/or control unit is, for instance, stationarilyintegrated into the device, and a display panel, for instance, is thenarranged in such a manner that the values displayed thereon are clearlyvisible from outside of the device. It can alternatively be provided forthe display unit and/or control unit to comprise at least one mobiledisplay panel. The determined or calculated data are transmittedwirelessly, for instance by means of radio communication, from thedisplay unit and/or control unit to the mobile display so that theoperator can keep an eye on the data even if he is not immediately nextto the machine.

The invention further relates to a method for providing consumablematerial for a packaging machine wherein the consumable material isprovided as bulk material in a magazine and is removed from saidmagazine by means of at least one conveyor device and fed to thepackaging machine. The magazine can accommodate a defined maximumquantity of packaging material. A detection device coupled to themagazine detects the actual quantity of packaging material in themagazine.

This actual quantity of packaging material can be transmitted to adisplay unit and/or control unit, which calculates a residual quantityof packaging material required for the ongoing production, as alreadydescribed above.

According to a preferred embodiment form, it may be provided that thedisplay unit and/or control unit displays to an operator the quantity ofpackaging material that has to be filled into the magazine. It isdisplayed, for instance, that the magazine can be filled to the maximumor else that the magazine is to be filled only partly for producing thefinal desired packaging units. In order to further minimize errors inmanual filling or partial filling, the display unit and/or control unitcan produce a second warning signal when the maximum quantity or thecalculated partial quantity of consumable material has been filled intothe magazine. This can again be an acoustic and/or optical warningsignal.

According to an alternative embodiment form, it can be provided for thedisplay unit and/or control unit to control an automatic filling device.The filling device fills consumable material from a supply into themagazine. The display unit and/or control unit stops the filling processperformed by the filling device when the magazine contains the requiredquantity of consumable material.

In the following passages, the attached figures further illustrateexemplary embodiments of the invention and their advantages. The sizeratios of the individual elements in the figures do not necessarilyreflect the real size ratios. It is to be understood that in someinstances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated orenlarged in relation to other elements to facilitate an understanding ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a device according to the prior art of DE 203008513 forfeeding preforms.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment form of a device according to theinvention for providing preforms.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment form of a device according to theinvention for providing preforms.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment form of a device according to theinvention for providing preforms.

The same or equivalent elements of the invention are designated byidentical reference characters. Furthermore and for the sake of clarity,only the reference characters relevant for describing the respectivefigure are provided. It should be understood that the detaileddescription and specific examples of the device and method according tothe invention, while indicating preferred embodiments, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a device 1 according to the prior art of DE 203008513 forfeeding preforms 2. The preforms 2 are provided as bulk material inboxes 3. Preforms 2 are transferred into a silo 4 at periodic intervals,poured into the silo 4, and there form the supply of preforms 2 for theblow molding machine 11. The preforms 2 reach a roller sorter 6 via aninclined conveyor 5, where they are accordingly aligned. Via an elevatorconveyor 7 and a slide 8, the preforms 2 reach an infeed star 9 of aheating section 10. The slide 8 additionally effects a buffer function,which allows for uninterrupted feeding into the heating section 10 andinto the subsequent blow molding device 11. According to the employedblow molds, the preforms 2 are formed into bottles 12 in the blowmolding device 11, with said bottles 12 being fed via a conveyor 13 tofurther processing devices (not illustrated here), for instance a filleror the like. The arrows represent the transport direction TR of thepreforms 2 or the bottles 12.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment form of a device 20 according to theinvention for providing preforms 24. The preforms 24 are removed from asilo 22 and fed to a blow molding machine 30 via a removal conveyor 26.

Below the silo 22 is a scale 41 which determines the actual quantity Vaof preforms 24 located in the silo 22 and displays it at a display unitand/or control unit 42. From the known mass Vs of a preform 24 it isthen possible to calculate, for instance, the current number Na ofpreforms 24 in the silo 22. It is furthermore possible to calculate thetime t until the silo 22 has to be refilled with preforms 24 again basedon the measured actual quantity Va and the known throughput D.

The display unit and/or control unit 42 preferably comprises a mobiledisplay 43, in particular a touch pad, which the operator can carryalong and to which the determined and calculated data of the displayunit and/or control unit 42 are transmitted by means of radiocommunication. This enables the operator to organize his time better. Hecan thus also structure and organize his work better.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment form of a device 20 according to theinvention for providing preforms 24. The preforms 24 are located in asilo 22, from where they are removed and fed to a blow molding machine30 via a removal conveyor 26 (cf. also FIG. 1). The silo 22 isassociated with a detection device 40. In particular, the silo 22 isarranged on a scale 41, which respectively determines and displays themass Va of the preforms 24 located in the silo 22. The display isperformed via a display panel 43 of a display unit and/or control unit42. The display panel 43 can be located directly at the scale 41, forinstance. Alternatively, it can be a mobile display, to which thedetermined values are preferably transmitted wirelessly, in particularvia radio communication, so that the operator can read the values evenif he is not immediately next to the device 20.

It is possible to save certain production parameters to the display unitand/or control unit 42 in the beginning of each new production. Theseinclude, for instance:

-   -   the known mass of an individual preform 24;    -   a maximum storage quantity Vmax of preforms 24 in the silo 22;    -   a minimum storage quantity Vmin which the preforms 24 in the        silo 22 are not to fall below in order to prevent undesired        interruptions of the ongoing operation;    -   the desired production quantity of bottles to be produced, which        results in the target quantity and thus the target mass Vt of        required preforms 24; etc.

The display unit and/or control unit 42 saves, for instance, the data onthe quantities Vi of preforms 24 already filled into the silo 22. Basedon the sum of the filling quantities Vi and the known target quantityVt, the display unit and/or control unit 42 calculates a quantity Vr ofpreforms 24 that are required for the remainder of the plannedproduction.

From this residual quantity Vr, the display unit and/or control unit 42can determine a filling plan, which specifies, for instance, that thesilo has to be refilled three more times, each of these times with amaximum quantity Vmax of preforms 24 and subsequently only once morewith a partial quantity Vp. For instance, three times, each time fourpackaging units (3, cf. FIG. 1), and subsequently only a partialquantity Vp of approximately 2.5 packaging units of preforms 24 arepoured into the silo 22. This partial quantity Vp is calculated suchthat none or only a small number of preforms 24 will be left in the silo22 at the end of the production. In particular, the partial quantity Vptakes into account the fact that the mass of the individual preforms 24is subject to fluctuations in a certain range of tolerance. This ensuresthat the silo 22 is largely empty at the end of production and that theloss of time for the complete emptying of the silo 22 is kept as low aspossible.

It can furthermore be provided that a first warning signal 51 isproduced when the scale 41 determines that the quantity of preforms 24left in the silo 22 has fallen below a defined minimum Vmin. This is toprevent the ongoing operation of the blow molding machine 30 from beingstopped due to inadequate infeed of preforms 24.

Furthermore, it can be provided that a second warning signal S2 isproduced after the maximum filling quantity Vmax or the calculatedpartial quantity Vp of preforms 24 has been filled into the silo 22, forinstance manually or in a partly or fully automated process. Both thefirst and the second warning signal 51, S2 can be acoustic as well asoptical signals.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment form of a device 20 according to theinvention for providing preforms 24. The detection device 40 or thescale 41 determines the mass of the preforms 24 in the silo 22, whichleads to the display unit and/or control unit 42 calculating the actualquantity Va of preforms 24.

The display unit and/or control unit 42 furthermore determines and savesthe respective quantity Vi of preforms 24 that have been filled in. Itis, for instance, possible to write the respective actual quantity Va toa separate data logger of the display unit and/or control unit 42immediately after each refill of new preforms 24. Based on the sum ofall filling quantities Vi and the known target quantity Vt , the displayunit and/or control unit 42 determines a residual quantity Vr (notillustrated here, cf. FIG. 3). From this residual quantity Vr, thedisplay unit and/or control unit 42 calculates the respective fillingquantity Vr, and in particular whether it is required to refill amaximum quantity Vmax or a partial quantity Vp. These data aretransmitted to a filler 44, which fills the corresponding maximumquantity Vmax or the calculated partial quantity Vp of preforms 24 intothe silo 22. On reaching the specified filling quantity Vmax, Vp, thefilling process by the filler 44 is automatically stopped.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerouschanges and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments ofthe invention and that such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is, therefore,intended that the appended claims cover all such equivalent variationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

1 Device for feeding preforms

2 Preform

3 Packaging unit/box with preforms

4 Silo

5 Inclined conveyor

6 Roller sorter

7 Elevator conveyor

8 Slide

9 Infeed star

10 Heating section

11 Blow molding machine

12 Bottle

13 Conveyor

20 Device for providing preforms

22 Silo

24 Preform

26 Removal conveyor

30 Blow molding machine

40 Detection device

41 Scale

42 Display unit and/or control unit

43 Display panel

44 Filler

D Throughput

Na Current quantity

S1 First warning signal

S2 Second warning signal

t Time period to next refill

TR Transport direction

Vi Filling quantity/filling mass

Va Actual quantity/actual mass

Vmin Minimum quantity/minimum mass

Vmax Maximum quantity/maximum mass

Vr Residual quantity/residual mass

Vt Target quantity/target mass

Vp Partial quantity/partial mass

We claim:
 1. A device (20) for providing consumable material (24) for apackaging machine (30) wherein the device (20) comprises: a magazine(22) for the consumable material (24), from which magazine theconsumable material (24) for the ongoing operation is removable andfeedable to the packaging machine (30) via a feed device (26),characterized in that the device (20) comprises a detection device (40)for determining an actual quantity (Va) of consumable material (24) inthe magazine (22).
 2. The device (20) as recited in claim 1 wherein thedetection device (40) is a unit (41) for determining an absolute mass oran actual mass (Va).
 3. The device (20) as recited in claim 2 whereinthe detection device (40) is coupled to a display unit or control unit(42).
 4. The device as recited in claim 3 wherein the actual quantity(Va, Na) of consumable material (24) in the magazine (22) is displayableby means of the display unit or control unit (42).
 5. The device (20) asrecited in claim 4 wherein the display unit or control unit (42)comprises a warning function by means of which a first warning signal(51) can be produced on the actual quantity (Va) of consumable material(24) in the magazine (22) falls below a predefined minimum quantity(Vmin).
 6. The device (20) as recited in claim 5 wherein by means of thedisplay unit or control unit (42), a residual quantity (Vr) ofconsumable material (24) can be determined from a known target quantity(Vt) and a total amount of filling quantities (Vi).
 7. The device (20)as recited in claim 6 wherein the magazine (22) is arranged on the unit(41) for determining a mass or wherein the unit (41) for determining amass is integrated into the base section of the magazine (22) or whereinthe unit (41) for determining a mass is arranged upstream of themagazine (22).
 8. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein a displaypanel (43) of the display unit or control unit (42) is stationarilyarranged at the device (20) or wherein the display unit or control unit(42) comprises at least one mobile display panel (43), which iswirelessly controllable by the display unit or control unit (42) andwhich displays the determined or calculated values.
 9. A method forproviding consumable material (24) for a packaging machine (40) by adevice according to claim 1, wherein the consumable material is providedas bulk material in a magazine (22) and is removed from the magazine(22) by means of at least one conveyor device (26) and fed to thepackaging machine (30) wherein the magazine (22) can accommodate adefined maximum quantity (Vmax) of consumable material (24), the methodcomprising: detecting an actual quantity (Va) of consumable material(24) in the magazine (22) by a detection device (40) coupled to themagazine (22).
 10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprisingtransmitting the actual quantity (Va), which is detected by thedetection device (40), to a display unit or control unit (42) or whereinthe display unit or control unit (42) calculates and displays a residualquantity (Vr) of consumable material (24) required for an ongoingproduction.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the displayunit or control unit (42) produces a first warning signal (51) on theactual quantity (Va) of consumable material (24) in the magazine (22)reaching or falling below a defined minimum quantity (Vmin).
 12. Themethod as recited in claim 10 wherein the display unit or control unit(42) calculates a filling quantity (Vi) of consumable material (24) fromthe calculated residual quantity (Vr), which corresponds to either themaximum quantity (Vmax) of consumable material (24) or to a partialquantity (Vp).
 13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the displayunit or control unit (42) displays the quantity of consumable material(Vp, Vmax) that has to be filled into the magazine (22).
 14. The methodas recited in claim 13 wherein the display unit or control unit (42)produces a second warning signal (S2) when the magazine (22) containsthe calculated quantity (Vp, Vmax) of consumable material (24).
 15. Themethod as recited in claim 12 wherein the display unit or control unit(42) controls a filling device (44), which fills consumable material(24) into the magazine (22), and wherein the display unit or controlunit (42) stops the filling process when the magazine (22) contains thecalculated quantity (Vp, Vmax) of consumable material (24).